Nigel Farage was forced to abandon an appearance at a “carnival” today for Ukip’s ethnic minority supporters after it descended into chaos.

A band of steel drummers, booked to play at the event in Croydon, South London, said they would not have agreed to appear if they had known it was for the party and packed up after five minutes.

The gathering was picketed by a group of protesters branding the party racist, while one of the party’s most prominent black supporters, a former parliamentary candidate in Croydon, described the town as “a dump”.